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McLaren Elva is the next Ultimate Series model, with 800 horsepower

McLaren's latest Ultimate Series hypercar has been revealed, and its name is Elva. The McLaren Elva is an open roadster named and themed after the open race cars built by founder Bruce McLaren and the Elva sports car company in the 1960s. This new car is the lightest and one of the quickest cars from McLaren yet. The new Elva's resemblance to the classic race car is clear with undulating, exaggerated wheel arches, discreet rear air scoops, low nose and completely exposed cockpit. But it has trademark design cues from modern McLarens such as the squinting headlights, slender taillights and a tail dominated by air vents and a diffuser. The Elva has no roof or windows, but it does have McLaren's typical butterfly doors, and a windshield will be available as an option. Hidden under the voluptuous body is a version of the McLaren Senna's twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, but thanks to a high-flow exhaust, it now makes 804 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. It's coupled to a seven-speed transmission that sends power to the rear wheels only. McLaren says the engine will propel the car to 62 mph in under 3 seconds, and it will hit 124 mph (200 kph) in 6.7 seconds, which is faster than the Senna. This is in part made possible by the Elva being the lightest McLaren road car yet. A final weight hasn't been announced, but we know it's less than the 2,900-pound Senna. Much of the credit for the weight savings goes to the new carbon fiber chassis and body, plus the lack of any kind of driver enclosure. McLaren doesn't even include an audio system as standard (it's a no-cost option) to help keep the weight down. The seats are made of carbon fiber. Even the brakes, which are based on the already light setup in the Senna, get titanium calipers that save about two pounds in total. While light and serious, McLaren has still tried to make the driving experience reasonably comfortable. It has implemented a fancy set of vents, vanes and deflectors in the front of the car called the McLaren Active Air Management System to channel air around the passenger compartment. That way, the "cabin" is still tolerable even if you're not wearing a full-face helmet. If you do decide to wear a helmet, there is a storage area under the cowls behind the seat that has space for your headgear. The seats can be covered in a variety of materials from leather with additional protective coatings to a new durable, breathable fabric.

McLaren 620R spied looking cooler than the race car

We knew the McLaren 620R supercar was coming, and now we have photo evidence. One of our spy photographers caught a prototype out testing with virtually no camouflage except a matte black paint scheme. It looks very aggressive, more so even than the race car it's supposedly based on. According to the report, the 620R shares a lot of its bits and pieces with the McLaren 570S GT4 race car. That certainly seems to be the case, as the front bumper, splitters, rear diffuser, exhaust and rear wing all look identical to the racer. It's not identical, though. One big difference to the race car is the 620R's enormous roof-mounted air intake, which likely feeds the engine with fresh air. That engine is reportedly a version of the 600LT's twin-turbo V8 with power cranked up to 612 horsepower over the 600LT's 592. It will surely be rear-wheel-drive with a dual-clutch transmission. It will also definitely be limited production, with the report saying only special clients will be given the opportunity to buy one. We'd expect a production run somewhere in the lower double digits, following in the footsteps of past special models like the MSO X, MSO R and MSO HS. We'll probably see it revealed within the year, since it looks to be far along in development.

McLaren adding hardcore GT4-based 620R model to the range

The McLaren 570S has provided a versatile and ever more powerful platform for the English brand. In early 2016, McLaren launched the 570S GT4 (pictured) to compete in global campaigns of the FIA racing series, and a 570S Sprint that was a track-only, unrestricted GT4 car for customers who wanted stimulation free of FIA regulations. In early 2018, McLaren Newport commissioned 10 examples of the MSO X, a road-going version of the 570S GT4 Le Mans wearing a livery reminiscent of that on one of the McLaren F1 GTRs. Then came the 600LT, a lighter, longer, more powerful version of the 570S. Autocar and PistonHeads report McLaren will take the Sports Series range even further, with a forthcoming 620R model bearing traits from each of those forebears. Road-legal but with the visual purpose of a track car, the 620R will be based on the 600LT. As the name hints, power from the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 should increase to 620 metric horsepower, or 612 of our horses, a step beyond the 592 hp in the 600LT. The aero package looks taken directly from the GT4, and then some. Note the front splitter and angled strakes, aero flics at the corners, hood intakes, floor-widening sill extensions, and rear wing all from the GT4. The exhaust location retains the GT4 layout at the corners of a GT4 rear diffuser, a switch from the top-exit exhaust on the 600LT. PistonHeads suspects the 620R adopts the GT4's coilover springs with adjustable dampers, and perhaps the race car's wider track, too. The modifications go further than the race car with the addition of a roof-mounted intake, found on the dealer-commissioned 570S GT4 Le Mans. Autocar managed to get spy shots of the 620R's exterior, but the interior remains a mystery. The cabin will likely be stripped of fripperies, though, as seen on the MSO X. McLaren confirmed the 620R to Autocar and said, "This IS a car that will be offered to select customers by invitation only." The customers invited to order should expect a price premium over the 600LT, which started at $224,000. We'll know how much of a premium whenever McLaren goes public. 

McLaren 720S MSO Apex Collection celebrates high-speed grip

McLaren continues to toy with the 720S while we wait for the supercar's next major revision. A little too late for Fashion Week but just in time for the fall/winter season, the MSO division has released the Apex Collection for the coupe. The collection name refers to apexes at five famous European grand prix circuits, the same tracks McLaren has used to test and reaffirm its brand values for more than 50 years. A crowning touch is that each car is identified with the high speed that a McLaren performance driver achieved through a particular apex. The speeds, corners, and tracks are: 103 miles per hour through Eau Rouge at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps, 85 mph through Mobil 1 Kurve at Germany's Hockenheim, 110 mph through Abbey at Great Britain's Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, 104 mph through Signes at Circuit Paul Ricard in France, and 90 mph jinking through the Ascari Chicane at Monza in Italy. The Apex Collection builds on the 720S Track Pack, which sheds about 50 pounds and adds carbon fiber exterior trim, a sports exhaust, and the McLaren Telemetry System. Further customization involves MSO extended side sills, extended shift paddles behind an MSO steering wheel marked at the 12 o'clock position with a dual-color Alcantara, and an MSO throttle pedal and key shell. Visual identifiers outside are limited to MSO Apex logos on the rear fenders. McLaren will make three of each theme, for 15 cars total, six of them in right-hand drive, all reserved for the European market. They'll each command GBP288,813 in the U.K. ($355,641 U.S.) to take home, before options. That's a GBP36,000 ($44,200 or so) premium over the standard 720S Track Pack, but MSO throws in a few extras beyond the exclusivity. Every buyer gets a Formula 1 Paddock Pass to a grand prix, and a shotgun ride in a 720S for a Pirelli Hot Lap during the weekend.  And as a sly way to goose participation in the Pure McLaren track driving events, the English carmaker invites Apex Collection buyers to learn how to increase their skill at apex speeds at one of the courses held across Europe. Of course, a Paddock Pass and Pure McLaren combined cost a whole heap less than GBP36,000, but exclusive clubs cost exclusive money.

McLaren Racing will return to Mercedes F1 engines from 2021

SOCHI, Russia — McLaren will be reunited with Mercedes engines from the 2021 season as the former champions go back to using the German manufacturer's power units in their bid to return to the top. The Woking-based team are currently supplied by Renault, having joined forces with the French company last year. They will see out that deal, which runs until the end of 2020, before making the switch back to Mercedes as part of a long-term agreement until at least 2024. "We are delighted to welcome McLaren back to the Mercedes-Benz racing family with this new power unit supply agreement," said Mercedes' motorsports head Toto Wolff in a joint statement with McLaren issued at the Russian Grand Prix on Saturday. "We hope that this new long-term agreement marks another milestone for McLaren as they aim to take the fight to the sport's top teams, including our Mercedes works team." The McLaren-Mercedes partnership initially ran from 1995 to the end of 2014. It turned McLaren, enduring a slump after their heady days of dominance during the late 1980s and early 90s with Honda, into a force to be reckoned with once again. The combination won 78 races, a constructors' title and three drivers' titles with Mika Hakkinen (1998, 1999) and Lewis Hamilton who raced to his first Formula One title with the team in 2008. McLaren find themselves in a similar phase now, rebuilding after three dismal years with Honda, the Japanese manufacturer they rejoined forces with at the end of 2014 in a bid to recreate their dominance from 30 years ago. Fielding a fresh driver line up of British rookie Lando Norris and Spaniard Carlos Sainz, they have made big strides this year and are currently locked in a battle for fourth in the overall standings with Renault's works team. But they haven't won a race since the season-ending 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, when they were still powered by Mercedes. "Renault has been instrumental to our Formula One recovery plan and a fantastic partner to McLaren Racing," said Zak Brown, chief executive of McLaren Racing. "This agreement is an important step in our long-term plan to return to success in Formula One." McLaren's new deal with the German manufacturer, whose power units have set the benchmark in Formula One's turbo-hybrid era, coincides with a planned rules overhaul aimed at leveling the playing field and creating better racing. The shake-up could be just what a team like McLaren need to make that final jump up to the top.

2020 McLaren GT First Drive Review | Grand touring the McLaren way

ST. ANDRE LES ALPES, France — The roads snaking through these ragged mountain ranges are dubbed the Route Napoleon after the French rulerÂ’s treacherous journey from the Cote dÂ’Azur through the French Alps in 1815. The asphalt ribbon squiggles over, alongside, and literally through mountain ranges with a scrawl so rambunctious it would challenge a race-prepped Lotus Elise, let alone a high-horsepower grand tourer. This is why weÂ’re here – to put the 2020 McLaren GT and its mission statement to the test on the least direct path from A to B. The GT isnÂ’t technically the first McLaren with grand touring intentions: the 570 GT launched in 2016 as a softer, quieter way to span long distances. But the new model is the brandÂ’s first fully-formed expression of whip-through-the-corners-but-drive-all-day-in-comfort versatility. McLaren trod carefully when tweaking its winning supercar formula for long-distance friendliness, while maintaining the sharpness weÂ’d need to tackle the notorious Route Napoleon. After all, McLarenÂ’s new GT would damage the brandÂ’s street cred if it was too soft, and miss the mark if it allowed occupant fatigue to enter into the equation. McLaren says it modified about two-thirds of existing hardware to strike the ideal balance, and the exterior appears to be an accurate sculptural representation of those changes. The body panels look subtler in person, countering those who suggest similarities to the Corvette C8. The GT is a bit more flared and angular, and utilizes some flat expanses of sheetmetal to hide its larger footprint. The body actually measures 6 inches longer than the 570GT, with notable overhangs front and rear. Nevertheless, there's a very usable 10-degree approach angle, or 13 degrees with the optional vehicle lift feature, which are numbers on par with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The GTÂ’s dihedral doors slide up easily after pressing a small, spring-loaded section of the side panel. Inside is typical McLaren — not too preciously ornamented nor overtly austere like some Teutonic carmakers. The steering wheel and paddle shifters in my tester are finished in a nicely polished aluminum finish that echo the milled materials used in the various switchgear and controls. Buttons are kept to a minimum on the center console and there are none on the steering wheel, while McLarenÂ’s twin dials for controlling drivetrain and handling settings remain.

Watch a Ford Bronco casually jump a McLaren 720S

Michael Cox can't stop jumping his classic Ford Bronco. He's jumped it on the beach. He's jumped it in the desert. He's jumped it at racetracks. Now he's jumped it in Hoonigan's backyard playground. Upping the ante on this one, he completed the jump while a modded McLaren 720S drifted underneath.  For those who don't know Michael Cox, he's a builder, racer, mad man extraordinaire who's worked with BMW and Porsche and specializes in off-road racing. Possibly more famous than the man is the vehicle he's known for driving, a custom-built Bronco that sports a cat-themed desert camo wrap.  Technically, this is not the first time Cox has visited Hoonigan and jumped his Bronco. But last time, the Bronco soared over nothing but tire crumbs and those tiny pebbles that get stuck in tread. This time, the stakes grew significantly, as a custom 720S drifted under the Bronco while it was in the air.  After a few donuts, Cox first tries a jump over a flatbed trailer. Once he easily clears that obstacle, Hoonigan brings the McLaren into the picture. Watch the video above to see a few crazy men show total disregard for the cost of a supercar.  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

McLaren is in no rush to follow Lotus into the electric hypercar segment

McLaren began testing an electric supercar in 2017 to learn the ins and outs of making a battery-powered hypercar. The technology that powers EVs has evolved since the project started, but it's not advanced enough to power a mass-produced model, one of the firm's top executives told Australian website Motoring. Weight is the main problem the company's research and development department is having a difficult time solving. An electric car is normally heavier than a comparable gasoline-powered car, because it relies on a big, bulky battery pack for power, and McLaren can't yet offset an electric powertrain's mass, according to the report. The easy way out would be to use a smaller battery pack that delivers less range, but McLaren is committed to offering an electric model that enthusiasts can drive flat-out on a track for at least 30 minutes, according to Jamie Corstorphine, the company's global marketing director. He told Motoring that his team is ready to wait as long as needed to release its first electric car; it won't compromise range, performance, or both just to make headlines. Development work is ongoing; McLaren will continue to put hybrid (pictured) and electric test mules through their paces in the foreseeable future. In 2018, CEO Mike Flewitt explained the automaker's philosophy is to leverage the benefits of a battery-electric powertrain to build a better sports car, not to merely make a cleaner one. He added fans of green performance shouldn't expect to see a McLaren without pistons before 2025, and it doesn't sound like that timeline has changed. The segment will get very crowded, very quickly. Rimac, Lotus, and Tesla are among the numerous firms committed to releasing a battery-powered hypercar in the coming years. They'll possibly beat McLaren to the punch, though we've learned to take targets with a V12-sized grain of salt, but the company's executive team isn't eyeing the ring with bragging rights in mind.

McLaren F1 chassis 063 restored by MSO is a beauty in silver

McLaren Special Operations announced its F1 Certified program one year ago at the Hampton Court Concours of Elegance in England with an F1 GTR race car restored to as-new condition. The skunkworks division must have been working on its next beauty at the same time, F1 road car chassis 063 built in 1994, as MSO is ready to show the second fully restored chassis after 18 months and nearly 3,000 hours of work.  After stripping the drivetrain and body of 063, MSO stitched up the interior to original spec. That meant sourcing ten suitable hides, preparing them as semi-aniline and dying them Woking Grey. The three seats are sewn up in matching Woking Grey, the driver's seat set off by a red, perforated Alcantara center panel. More Woking Grey leather goes on the dashboard and as piping for the Woking Gray floor mats over the same-colored carpeting. The steering wheel is new-old stock, pulled from a container of original F1 parts McLaren has kept in storage for decades. Technicians rebuilt the 6.1-liter BMW-sourced V12, then dyno tested it to ensure the original output of 618 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. The Bilstein dampers were returned to the manufacturer for as-new refurbishment, as were the driveshafts and hubs. Then came reinstalling the body panels, repainted over the course of almost 900 hours in the original Magnesium Silver hue. A final bout of road and track testing verified chassis 063 was ready to be returned to its owner, along with a Certificate of Authenticity, an illustrated book documenting the history of the car, and a laser-scanned 3D model of the F1.  Any other owners of the 106 F1s built between 1993 and 1998 — 64 standard road cars and 28 GTR racers — are welcome to avail themselves of the MSO service. For the second year running, MSO will display its work at the Hampton Court Concours from September 6-8.

McLaren will sell you a $15,400 bespoke luggage set designed for the GT

McLaren released the GT a few months ago as its most practical vehicle to date. Then Chevy showed us the mid-engine Corvette, and that mid-engine sports car looks even more practical than the McLaren. Tough luck. However, all is not lost. McLaren has the ultimate accessory package for your practical supercar: the first MSO luggage collection. It’s designed specifically for the GT, and costs $15,400 to snag one of everything. Folks at the Pebble Beach Concours dÂ’Elegance saw it first. There are four pieces in the luggage set including a garment case ($2,300), weekend bag ($2,500), cabin bag ($3,800) and full-size golf bag ($6,800). Yes, McLaren will sell you a golf bag for $6,800. But hey, thatÂ’s the price you pay for wanting to take your McLaren to the golf course. IsnÂ’t that pocket change worth not having to drive your Range Rover to the links? Depends how deep those pockets are. You may ask why these seemingly small bags are so expensive. HereÂ’s your answer: All the bags are made using the same leather and stitching youÂ’ll find in the interior of a McLaren GT. There are three color options available to best match your interior color, including Pioneer Black, Luxe Black and Luxe Porcelain. Interestingly, the bags themselves are made in Italy, not England. All of them are designed to fit into specific areas in the car, making sure not to intrude on passenger space or outward visibility. Paying $15,400 for luggage is mighty ridiculous, but when the car starts at $210,000, itÂ’s more of a very expensive option than anything else. If youÂ’re one of the lucky folks to pick up a McLaren GT, the folks in Woking say youÂ’ll be able to order the matching luggage set at McLaren retailers beginning in September. McLaren GT by MSO View 18 Photos